Health care, education focus of Cardin visit

Senator addresses residents at Clinton church

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) defended last year's federal health care legislation and stressed the need to keep education a top priority among other subjects at a town hall meeting Sunday at Mount Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton.

"Obama finally got America to join the rest of the industrial world by making health care a right," Cardin told a crowd of about 200 people following 11 a.m. services.

"It's personal here in Prince George's County. We remember Deamonte Driver," Cardin said, referring to a 12-year-old Clinton boy who died in 2007 from complications that resulted from a toothache after his family was unable to find a dentist who accepted Medicaid dental coverage.

Cardin did not shy away from criticizing the health care bill, however.

"Is the bill perfect? By no means," Cardin said, stating that he would have liked a public insurance option as well as more support for long-term care. "We still have a long way to go, but this is a big step forward."

Cardin noted that he is friends with the church's pastor, the Rev. Delman Coates, and that town hall meetings like the one Sunday helped him understand issues important to local residents.

"I find that I can get a good understanding of where we are and where we need to go," Cardin said. "I can really find out about issues in the community."

"I would have liked to see him be more detailed [in his response]," Williams said, adding that he would take Cardin's advice and look at different low-cost health care options.

Cardin discussed how he would continue to support education efforts and ways to fund education in the Senate.

"My goal is that every child, whether they live in Prince George's County or Montgomery County or St. Mary's County, gets the best education possible," Cardin said. "Our future is in education and we need to make it a top priority."

Cardin also praised Maryland for qualifying in August for up to $250 million in federal education funds through the U.S. Department of Education's Race to the Top contest.

Katedra Nixon, president of the parent teacher organization at Imagine Foundations Public Charter School in Upper Marlboro, asked Cardin about school assistance in the wake of funding cuts to the charter school, which her 9-year-old-son attends. He advised her to continue to take the issue to county and state officials, particularly members of the county school board.

"He answered the question as best as he could," said Nixon, of Brandywine. "He's supportive of education."

She agreed with Cardin that the problems in education funding lie with accountability in the system, particularly on the local and state levels.

Cardin took a serious tone when discussing the economy.

"This is the first time I can remember that we have a deficit that we can't control," Cardin said. "We have to balance the budget."

Then, Cardin turned to the Rev. Coates, and said, "I'm not sure if your parishioners will like me after I say this, but I'm not fully into extending tax cuts for millionaires," poking fun at the tax cuts promoted by Republican candidates and drawing laughter from the crowd.

Answering Coates' question regarding solutions to local traffic problems, Cardin also received applause for advocating for the Purple Line project, the proposed 16-mile light rail linking Bethesda to New Carrollton, as well as expanding railways in southern Maryland and northern Virginia.

However, he stressed that these measures would not be easy.

"We're with you, but it's going to take a commitment and a fight for fundamental funding," Cardin said.

Cardin closed with a message of optimism.

"I think America will continue to lead the world. I do think that our children will grow up with better opportunities than us," Cardin said. "Our values and our faith are what give us the spirit to deal with our issues."